Land for Life – WWF supports local Maasai communities and wildlife to coexist more peacefully
Over the past three-years WWF-UK, in collaboration with WWF-Kenya, WWF-Tanzania, African People & Wildlife and South Rift Association of Land Owners (SORALO) have empowered local communities in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania to manage their natural resources sustainably, with positive impacts for both people and wildlife.
Photograph: SORALO all female team of community rangers using a mobile phone to share locations before morning patrol. Credit: WWF-UK
Communities have been supported to live more peacefully alongside wildlife, protect their livestock with predator-proof ‘Living Walls’, manage rangelands sustainably, and women especially have been empowered to take an active role in conservation and develop sustainable enterprises.
Photo: A Maasai community member helping to install a living wall boma at the home of Jopha Kakanyi. Longido, Arusha, Tanzania. Credit: WWF-UK
“We have to continue in making sure that we all focus on giving communities a chance to be the drivers of conservation in these areas because the land belongs to them”. John Kamanga, Director of SORALO
As ActionAid’s three-year UK Aid Match project comes to a close, communities in four provinces of Cambodia (Kampot, Koh Kong, Kampong Thom and Pursat) are becoming more climate resilient and women are leading advocacy efforts to demand climate justice and gender equality.
In Cambodia, farming and fishing are often vital sources of income for many communities, but the growing impacts of climate change such as frequent droughts, floods and storms, are threatening their livelihoods. Women in particular face ongoing challenges with less access to education, tools and information that would help them deal with climate crises.
With funds raised through their UK Aid Match appeal in 2021, ActionAid’s She is the Answer project has supported Women Champion Networks (WCNs) who are equipping their communities with tools, knowledge and resilience to adapt to climate change, manage disaster risk and advocate for their rights.
Photograph: Natt, who received training in agroecology and now runs her own environmentally sustainable, climate resilient farm. Credit: ActionAid Cambodia.
Women Champion Networks
Initial project activities included setting up four WCNs with 117 women champions selected to drive local climate and disaster resilience efforts. The networks have led practical initiatives such as road improvements, tree planting, and mangrove planting to reduce flooding, boost biodiversity, and improve fish stocks.
In Koh Kong, the networks have supported farmers to set up a coconut husk fertiliser business, an innovative production which helps soil retain moisture and improves yields. The process works by mixing coconut husks, rice hulls, cow dung and other organisms to create a protective fertiliser which supports the growth of vegetables and melon seeds.
In Kampot, ActionAid Cambodia and their partner Children and Women Development Centre Cambodia (CWDCC) have supported the networks to set up a resilience market, a women-led enterprise selling natural products grown by local small farmers. The market is open seven days a week and is an opportunity for women farmers to connect with local buyers, gain entrepreneurial experience and earn their own income. Focused on climate-friendly natural products, the community-based market provides a nearby place for the local community to not only sell their products, but to strengthen collaborations and partnerships with other women, businesses, and local authorities.
“I am really happy and satisfied with the start-up of this resilience market. This is the initiative of women champions as a response to the communities’ needs, empowering women in earning their own income, and promoting climate resilience in the communities.” Chan Kanha, leader of the WCN in Kampot.
And in Pursat, a women-led village savings and loan group has been established, allowing members to invest in climate-smart farming tools, diversify their income and create a safety net for climate-related crises.
Meet Chea
A business owner who lives in Pursat with her farmer husband and two sons. Chea used to work abroad in Thailand, while her family back home faced food insecurity and couldn’t afford to send her sons to school. By joining the savings and loan group in Pursat, Chea was able to start a food stall in her village selling papaya, spring rolls, grilled meat, salad and drinks. She now has additional income, is able to support her family and can even buy land. Chea joins many women who have been able to access interest free loans for activities such as raising livestock, starting businesses, or farming rice.
Photograph: Chea cooking for her market stall. Credit: ActionAid Cambodia
Sustainable livelihoods
A key part of the project was increasing awareness and understanding of climate shocks and stresses and how to take action to ensure farmers can protect their livelihoods. Over 400 farming households received training and coaching sessions on agroecological farming techniques. For farmers who raise livestock this training included producing natural feed made from corn, beans and potatoes. And farmers who grow vegetables learnt about crop rotation and producing natural composts. To start their sustainable agricultural practices, farmers were equipped with resources such as chickens, seeds and solar water pumps.
Meet Ramyan
She was selected as a model farmer under the project and participated in chicken farming training and building climate-resilient coops. By adopting these practices she has increased her family’s income and inspires others in the community too.
Photograph: Ramyan feeding her chickens. Credit: ActionAid Cambodia
Women-led advocacy
And finally, the project aimed to elevate the voices of women within their communities. With ActionAid’s support, the WCNs mobilised and engaged government officials on key community issues. They facilitated commune public forums, creating a platform for meaningful dialogue with local authorities. As a result, there is growing recognition among officials of the value women-led networks bring and the need for them to be involved. All communes set up through the project incorporated the networks’ demands into their investment plans, achieving 100% of the project’s target. These plans include infrastructure improvements such as canal and drainage rehabilitation, and creating disaster management committees during emergencies.
These initiatives have been vital in strengthening the voice, agency, and leadership of women in their communities. Women champions are not only creating local change but also gaining national and international recognition. One champion represented her community at the Climate Change Summit in Cambodia, engaging with key national stakeholders. Another received the Women of the Future Award in Singapore in 2024 for her outstanding contributions. With continued support, mentorship, and collaboration, the WCNs can continue to empower communities and flourish, leaving lasting impact and sustainability long after the project ends.
To read more about ActionAid’s project visit their website.
Late last year, the UK Aid Match team visited four grant holders and their delivery partners across Africa and Southeast Asia – Action Aid and UWS (United World Schools) in Cambodia, ADD International in Uganda, and Save The Children in Kenya.
The visits were an opportunity to connect with grant holders and partners, strengthen our critical relationships, and to deepen our understanding of project progress and challenges. They also create time for troubleshooting ideas and offering tailored support, for example, with technical or financial reporting challenges or with understanding the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s (FCDO) approach to safeguarding.
Below is a brief summary of the visits:
In four provinces of Cambodia, Action Aid has established Women Champion Networks (WCN) who are equipping their communities with tools, knowledge and resilience to adapt to climate change, manage disaster risk and amplify their voices to advocate for their rights.
During the visit our team met with members of the WCN in Koh Kong and Kampot, seeing first-hand how their efforts have been impacting them and their wider communities. In Koh Kong, Women Champions demonstrated how their innovative coconut husk fertiliser business is generating funds to support the Network’s other activities, creating financial sustainability for the group. The fertiliser is a natural, eco-friendly way to enhance soil health which is vital in their drought-prone region. And in Kampot, Women Champions delivered agro-ecological training activities such as crop selection and rotation, reducing dependence on agro-chemicals and establishing water catchment systems so women-farmers are better prepared for the effects that climate change is having on their livelihoods.
A key success of the WCN are their mentoring activities, which are providing members with opportunities to build confidence and learn new skills in a safe, supportive community. Women Champions shared how these experiences have had a positive impact on their inter-personal relationships and positions in their households and communities.
Photographs: Coconut husks used to produce fertiliser and generate income for the financial sustainability of WCN; A Women Champion demonstrating the coconut husk fertiliser process
UWS are supporting children to enrol and stay in school in remote regions of Cambodia, while developing education facilities, school management structures and supporting teacher employment and training. This multi-country project also extends to remote areas of Nepal.
Our team and FCDO travelled to Ratanakiri, Kratie and Koh Kong, meeting students, teachers, mothers groups and community leaders across seven schools, deepening understanding of the challenges and progress of the project. The schools are very remote and often in hard-to-reach locations, where support from government and other stakeholders is minimal. The progress so far was evident, with vibrant school buildings and resources, upgraded latrines, running water, and in some cases, electricity.
The UK Aid Match supported schools have strong enrolment and retention rates compared with non-supported schools, and teachers are receiving training and mentoring support to strengthen child-centred classroom culture and learning standards. School Management Committees and mothers groups are central to the project’s sustainability plans to create inclusive school cultures that nurture student learning and a safe environment for children to flourish, especially for girls.
A key strength of the project is the strong relationship that UWS have developed with local government authorities (education offices) and the positive effect this has on the broader work of UWS to help facilitate innovative educational initiatives.
Photographs: Children learning at the upgraded schools
In Uganda, ADD International are supporting young people with disabilities (YPWD) through kitchen gardening, improving both food and income security for them and their families, and reducing the risk of violence against YPWD.
During the visit our team travelled to Jinja and Luwero districts, where they met with ADD International’s partners – Buganda Disabled Union (BUDU) and Source of the Nile Union of Persons with Albinism (SNUPA) – who are working with ADD to advocate for YPWD, as well as implement the project. They were able to visit some of the kitchen gardens as well as a market stall selling vegetables that have been grown in the gardens.
The project is also challenging negative perceptions around the productive capacity of YPWD and the team were happy to hear that there has been a positive shift within communities, families and among YPWD themselves. Through the kitchen gardening, YPWD are contributing to household food security and income, and feedback from them and their families have highlighted increased self-confidence, aspiration and pride.
Photographs: Fatuma, a Lead Farmer, at her market stall in Jinja District; Members of the UK Aid Match team with SNUPA, ADD International and project participants in one of the kitchen gardens
In Turkana and Mandera counties, Kenya, Save The Children are improving access to lifesaving prevention and treatment services for childhood illnesses and malnutrition.
During the visits our team travelled to two community outreach sites in Loima Sub-County, Turkana, to meet with implementing partner Turkana Christian Development Mission, Community Health Promoters (CHP) and the Sub-county Health Management Team. The goal was to understand how they work together to improve healthcare access in these areas. As part of the project, CHPs have been trained to successfully identify and provide appropriate treatment for diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia. This training, alongside a social and behaviour change campaign, has improved community awareness around these illnesses. Mothers in particular now have a better understanding of symptoms to look out for when they or their children are sick and can contact the CHPs to seek appropriate treatment.
It was also encouraging to see the strong collaboration between the Save the Children project team and the County Department of Health and Sanitation, with joint monitoring of project outcomes, mentoring of key health personnel and regular quality assurance checks against the Community Health Strategy. These efforts are supporting long-term capacity, ensuring that knowledge, skills and resources are in place to continue successful implementation of healthcare once the project ends next year.
Photographs: A Community Health Promoter advises a mother on how to monitor her child’s nutrition status; UK Aid Match, Save The Children and Turkana Chrisitan Development Mission’s teams with CHPs
A thank you
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the organisations and individuals involved with these visits. We really appreciated all your time and continued hard work.
